Flash memory is a type of electronic memory media that can be rewritten and can retain content without consumption of power. Flash memory has become popular, at least in part, because it combines the advantages of the high density and low cost of erasable programmable read only memory (EPROM) with the electrical erasability of electronically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM). Flash memory is non-volatile; it can be rewritten and can hold its content without power. It can be used in many portable electronic products, such as cell phones, portable computers, voice recorders, thumbnail drives and the like. The fact that flash memory can be rewritten as well as its retention of data without a power source, small size and light weight have all combined to make flash memory devices useful and popular means for transporting and maintaining data.
Often times, data can be transferred from a host device (e.g., memory cards) to a mass storage device (e.g., flash memory). For example, data can be transferred from a multimedia (MMC) or secure digital (SD) card to a mass storage device. The MMC and SD cards can, for example, be used in digital cameras, handheld computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs) and global positioning system devices (GPSs). In another example, data can be transferred between a consumer electronics ATA device (CE-ATA) and a mass storage device, wherein a CE-ATA device can be, for example, a hard drive that can be used to store information for such devices as media players, digital cameras, digital camcorders etc.
The amount of data that can be stored in a host devices and a mass storage device has steadily increased. For example, MMC and SD cards can store data ranging from 8 megabytes (MB) to 8 GB of data or more, while CE-ATA hard drives can potentially store many times that amount of data. As a result of the increased memory capacity of host devices and mass storage devices, there can be an increased demand for a more expedient and efficient means for transferring and controlling the larger amount of information.
Because of the higher storage capabilities associated with host devices (e.g., MMC cards, SD cards, CE-ATA devices) it is desirable to be able to transmit and program to and from these host devices to mass storage devices (e.g., flash memory) with an innovation that can provide high data throughput. Such an innovation could result in higher productivity due, in part, to the decreased amount of time it would take to transfer data between these types of devices.